Faye Webster brings ‘Underdressed at the Symphony’ to Cardiff
Words: Ciaran Hiscox
★★★★☆
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The evening began with support from Amie Blu. By then, The Tramshed was already full and ready to go. Amie Blu walked on to big cheers. Performing a relatable, charming, youth-filled set, interacting with the audience and getting them involved.
Photo: Michael Tyrone Delaney
Faye Webster entered the stage to shrieks of excitement, and the crowd kept that energy going. She went straight into the music, kicking off with ‘But Not Kiss’, which introduced us to the style and themes of the night. The set was full of head-bopping beats, stripped-back instrumentation and minimalist vocals. Faye delivered each song with a soft yet restrained style.
At times, the band and instrumentals took over, occasionally drowning out the vocals. Although this may have been due to my position in the venue. Still, it wasn't a massive issue, as each musician had their moment in the spotlight. From the saxophone in ‘A Dream with a Baseball Player’ to the drum solo in ‘Lego Ring’.
The set moved at a brisk pace, with song after song. In my book, that's not a bad thing. There was one particularly memorable moment between songs when an audience member shouted, “What's your favourite block in Minecraft?” After a quick deliberation with her brother, “red stone” was the answer. That led us into the final few songs of the night. ‘In a Good Way’, ‘Feeling Good Today’ and the encore, ‘Kingston’, wrapped up the evening.
The evening was very laid-back and vibe-heavy, with an audience that remained engaged throughout. It highlighted Webster's tasteful genre-blending soundscapes. Although at times it tiptoed the line between being genuinely interesting and simply becoming background music. Live, however, it worked. It felt like a warm meal on a cold day: comforting.